Eli Manning made it clear last season that he considers himself one of the “elite” quarterbacks in the NFL.

Phil Simms disagrees.

The former Giants quarterback shot down that “elite” theory on Monday night in an appearance on CBS Sports Network’s NFL Monday QB show. And he didn’t just blame Manning’s current slump, or his poor performance in the Giants’ 31-13 loss in Cincinnati on Sunday either.

“No, he is not one of the elites,” Simms said in quotes distributed by CBS. “Because when I hear the word elite, I’m thinking about guys that can make unbelievable plays on the field by themselves. There are very few quarterbacks in that category.

“So yes, Eli has been a tremendous team player. He has been MVP of the Super Bowl twice. I know that. But the way I look at it, the answer is no.”

It’s hard to argue considering the way Manning has played lately. He has topped 215 passing yards only once in the last five games, and over the past three games he’s had no touchdowns and four interceptions. In his ninth NFL season, the Giants quarterback has dipped into one of the worst slumps of his career.

Still, he has his supporters. Although former NFL quarterback Steve Beuerlein agreed with Simms on the CBS show -- he said “The problem (with the Giants) has been productivity offensively and specifically, Eli is in a slump right now. He is not playing his best football” – Hall of Famer Dan Fouts took Manning’s side.

“You can’t spell elite without Eli,” Fouts said. “The pressure situations that Eli has thrived in over his short career, in my mind, make him an elite quarterback, because that is when you’re judged. How well do you do when the pressure is on, when you’ve got to win the game?

“And all you have to do is look back at his two Super Bowl wins and the way he beat the Patriots. I have to give him a nod and say Eli is elite.”